other fibres are necessary and it is argued that clean materials is stronger, which was not evident in the literature. Still, the research also suggest that even 50% recycled fibres in a fabric, will lower the environmental impact. These results show that new product design is needed that functions in clean or recycled material.
Further, I found that lack of control when producing is another constraint for designers to
‘design-out-waste’, because production is executed externally in low labour countries. The production is also very dependent on technology and programming of orders to make the process as efficient as possible. Therefore, the fashion industry also lacks technology in terms of the production process, which is also evident in the literature. However the
consequences of minimum requirements and the industry standard of deviation of up to five per cent are also aspects that can cause large amounts of waste throughout the fashion industry. These aspects assert that orders from designers should consist of a certain amount of materials or products for them to produce and that it is okay for the suppliers to deviate from the agreed production numbers. This can be argued to pressure fashion brands to produce more than necessary and potentially end up with large overproduction, sales and consequently disposal. Sales can also be argued to go against the consumers’ willingness to exploit already bought fashion. The concepts of minimum requirement and the standard of deviation therefore need to be accounted for in further research.
In the results, the CMT approach is suggested to improve production. The design practice cut-make-trim allows designers to better control waste by choosing materials and making patterns themselves before sending to production in other countries. The risk of buying too much material can better be controlled by the brand and they have more sustainable materials to choose from. Moreover, long-term relationships have proved to work and while some designers also use leftover materials. The ability to produce from leftover materials either asserts that the minimum requirement can be bended to reduce waste, or that some fabrics allow more product groups or thirdly that too much fabric was ordered in the first place. If waste is reduced using CMT, the information may add possibilities to the circular economy and help increase the expected €4 billion (Eder-Hansen et. al, 2017) achieved when reducing textile waste. The rising demand for fast fashion and the associated time pressure can further be the reason why the supplier fails to produce precise amounts and why they require fashion brands to order a large production. Because long-term relationships are preferred and a change towards sustainability may require brands to change supplier, the CMT approach may be the way to secure control and should be considered in practice.
Finally, the collection of textiles is not something the fashion brands do, because production is executed in low labour countries and it would require that the designers collect large amounts for it to pay of. The recycling possibilities for designers are therefore primarily to make use of already recycled textiles and scraps from production. Further, the option of reuse through second-hand seem to rise and can help exploit textiles to its actual end-of-life state. However, the exploitation of reuse by designers, is only to use stock fabric or to design for longevity. By partnering with a larger collecting organisation, organisations are able to jointly collect and get a share of the fibres produced. As it is also stated in the EPA report (Watson, Trzepacz, Pedersen, 2018), the collected textiles by municipalities are of lower quality than the once exchanged among consumers, but can still be recycled. Moreover, the designers suggest a waste management system managed by municipalities to assure that knowledge is obtained. The agreement of a missing recycle system governed by higher national bodies, shows an interest by designers to solve the issue of waste. The report finally argues that designers and the recycle industry work closer together through partnerships and make a closed loop production. However, if designers are to collect, it requires that fashion brands are paid economic advantages to do so, as suggested by Lykketoft (2019).
6.2 Discussion of design practices and prevention
The fashion industry has grown partly due to a growing population and decrease in poverty, but the use of clothes now also exceeds the utilitarian need. Especially the culture for
fashion seasons and demand for new clothes are barriers to become sustainable, because it increases production and consumption. The values of cultural and creative products
therefore need to be taken into consideration when implementing sustainability in fashion, as the non-utilitarian aspect deviates from other industries. The issue of seasons is in line with theory on fast fashion for consumption, but is proved also to be a barrier for the designers and production, because time to perform sustainably is put into a tight timeframe. Balancing creativity and business in fashion is already dependent on the consumer values and
designers now also needs to account for sustainability. It is however considered important by the designers to balance trend and sustainability, because the consumers are not ready to buy only on sustainable values. Because of the SDGs, Maibom (2019) argued that it should now be easier to implement sustainable initiatives. However, the efforts done by the
designers interviewed, also calls for action for the industry to become more sustainable. This is also present in the agreement of a shared responsibility towards sustainability.
A change in practice is needed to perform more sustainably, partly due to lack of materials for designers to use and because prices for sustainable materials are more expensive. It is
further agreed that a change starts in design, but sustainable options is needed for them to perform better. The issue of high impact in the design and development phase (Eder-Hansen et al., 2017), is therefore not only rooted in design, but in the availability of choices.
Moreover, the issue of missing research is evident, but does not stop the fashion brands from trying, which shows that designers does have some knowledge on options. Therefore further research should include the experiences that already exist and seek advice from designers, as to why design have high impact, besides the choice of materials and fibre construction.
The analysis shows a variety of contributions by brands, but is also met by barriers to take bigger actions, because small brands experience difficulty in changing more than one aspect or product group at a time. This is argued to be due to a higher risk for small companies when the foundation for the economy is changed. Therefore, the argument of economic advantage can be questioned. There is simply more at stake for small organisations, however, smaller investments are also argued to have a big influence. Awareness among consumers is confirmed when it comes to organic clothes for children and is valued as well.
This is important information in regards to consumer values and behaviour gap and whether consumers are willing to pay for sustainable products.
The production of sustainability awareness is important and the SDGs can be seen as a tool to spread knowledge on urgent matters and the need to take action. If consumers are not informed about the actions done by fashion brands, the industry may not change, because the industry is consumer-driven. The education of consumers is found important because it may also help overcome consumer barriers. The analysis finding education important is mostly in terms of educating consumers of what fashion brands do through websites,
certifications and labels. However, the second chapter, Background, in this project also state the need for consumers to be more prone to second-hand clothes. The empirical data shows that consumers should become more informed on how to navigate between sustainability initiatives by brands. This should include the fact that consumers should contribute to a sustainable industry too. It requires a unified response by the industry and the consumers to change the industry, but with the narrow view on educating consumers through individual labels and websites by brands may call for a new, also unified way to inform and educate consumers. This view also complies with the argument of avoidance of environmental impact through learning and responsibility and that a growth in experience will help the field reach maturity.
The product design is considered the easiest to control and can include design of clean and timeless textiles whereas designers should think through every material and with durable solutions. Other contributions by designers can be collaborating with suppliers, changing into sustainable products and disrupting the fashion seasons. I have found that designers believe sustainable actions will provide possibilities in the long run, but actors in the industry need to push each other. Optimal change can be achieved with long-term solutions, but requires availability and adaptability not only for design solutions, but also to secure available options to reuse, recycle and reduce waste through prevention.